Thanks to the hundreds of foster, kinship and adoptive parents, as well as the many child welfare professionals that attended the National Foster Parent Assoc and National Kinship Alliance  2016  Convention in Las Vegas.

The workshops were educational and the plenary speakers were inspirational!  With the hot weather – about 110 F each day – it sure was nice and cool in the many restaurants and casinos.

One of my favorite my favorite parts was the closing of the plenary session titled Foster and Kinship Caregivers: Sticking Together.  Eileen Pasztor told us about how Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz is an allegory of a child in kinship placement.  I’ll ask Eileen to write a blog post about that story.  I loved it.

I was also inspired to hear the convention opening by Raphael Lopéz, Commissioner of Children’s Bureau, U.S. Administration for Children, Youth and Families.  He truly understands and appreciates the challenges of foster and kinship care.

Now, it’s time to save the date for next year!  Put this on your calendar.

NFPA 2017 Convention
June 21-24, 2017
Houston Marriott Westchase Hotel
Houston, TX